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Last Updated: September 23, 2026
Salad AI Gateway is currently in beta. Pay-per-token access is self-service; no beta approval is required.
Pay-per-token access is self-service. Each AI Gateway API key belongs to one user and one organization, and usage made with that key is billed to the organization’s credit balance.

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Step 1: Create an Account and Organization

  1. Create a SaladCloud account or sign in to your existing account.
  2. Create an organization in the portal. If you need help, follow the account setup guide.
  3. Open the organization you want to use with Salad AI Gateway.
Gateway access is configured per user, per organization. If you use AI Gateway with more than one organization, create a separate key for each organization.

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Step 2: Add Credits to the Organization

AI Gateway pay-per-token usage draws from the selected organization’s SaladCloud credit balance. In the organization, select Billing & Usage from the left navigation and add credits. The organization must have a positive credit balance before it can process AI Gateway requests. Credits are checked when each request is admitted. If credits run out during generation, requests already admitted are allowed to complete and are billed; new requests return 402 credits_exhausted until the balance is positive. See Billing for instructions on adding credits and configuring auto recharge.

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Step 3: Create an AI Gateway API Key

  1. Open the organization you want to bill for AI Gateway usage.
  2. In the left navigation, select AI Gateway.
  3. Click Create API Key for organization name.
AI Gateway page with the button to create an API key for the selected organization The key is associated with your user and the selected organization. Do not share it with other users.

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Step 4: Retrieve and Copy the Key

  1. Select your username in the upper-right corner of the portal.
  2. Select API Access.
  3. Under AI Gateway Keys, find the organization you selected.
  4. Click the copy icon next to the masked key.
API Access page showing the Current API Key and organization-specific AI Gateway Keys
The Current API Key at the top of the page authenticates other SaladCloud APIs with the Salad-Api-Key header. It does not authenticate AI Gateway requests. Use the organization-specific key listed under AI Gateway Keys as a Bearer token.
The API Access page shows only AI Gateway keys that you created. To reveal, regenerate, or delete a key, click Manage or return to that organization’s AI Gateway page. Follow Manage Your AI Gateway API Key for expiration delays, deletion, and what happens when organization membership changes.

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Step 5: Store the Key Securely

Store the copied key in an environment variable instead of hardcoding it in your application:
Do not commit the key to source control or expose it in client-side code.

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Step 6: Make Your First Request

Send the AI Gateway key as a Bearer token to the OpenAI-compatible endpoint:
You should receive a JSON response containing the model’s reply. Input and output tokens are billed to the organization at the published pay-per-token rates.

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Next Steps